UMVA has learned that a brazen scheme to pay people to register to vote on Skid Row in Los Angeles has been uncovered, leading to federal charges against one woman.
The alleged ringleader, Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, was caught on camera illegally paying individuals to register to vote, and has been charged with one felony count of paying another person to register to vote. She faces up to five years in federal prison.
The investigation, which went undercover on Skid Row, revealed that some individuals were paid between $7-$10 per signature, with some earning up to $1,000 per day. The scheme was described as a "cash for ballots" operation, where NGOs encouraged homeless people to sign petitions and register to vote in exchange for cash and other incentives.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division condemned the scheme, stating that "false registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections – even more so when payoffs are involved." The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all U.S. elections are fair and free from illegal meddling.
The undercover investigation, which was conducted in March, captured 28 instances of cash changing hands for ballot signatures and voter registration forms. The footage showed a widespread and organized effort to manipulate the electoral process.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the woman at the center of the scheme, Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, was confronted by James O’Keefe at her apartment in Marina Del Ray. She agreed to speak with him off the record, but refused to comment on camera.
The Justice Department's charges against Armstrong mark a significant step in addressing the issue of election fraud. As the investigation continues, it is clear that this scheme was just one part of a larger effort to manipulate the electoral process.
